Monday, July 13, 2009
Posted at
05:52
by
Carly Carioli
We're not above getting all hysterical and shit when anyone -- ANYONE -- covers a Neutral Milk Hotel song. Really, we're not. Which is why as soon as everyone started blogging their faces off about the dude from Fleet Foxes covering NMH during a solo show over the weekend, we zapped ourselves right over there and downloaded it, stat. And we're not even mad at the Fleet Foxes dude for forgetting the last line or two. I mean, come on -- you can't even decipher half the shit Jeff Mangum sings anyway.
All we're saying is, like, could someone cover something besides "Two Headed Boy" once in a while? First of all, it isn't even really the "hit" off that record -- the show-stopper was "Oh Comely" -- and second, 2HB is now becoming a bit of an indie-folk trope. Suggestion: start covering the fast/loud/fuzzy shit off On Avery Island.
In any case, bloggersville buried the lead this morning. Because Robin Pecknold of the Fleet Foxes ALSO covered "The Book of Love" from Magnetic Fields's 69 Love Songs. And that's where we start losing our shit. Nothing tops Merritt's versions of his own songs, but we love to hear people try. Earlier this year, Sarah Borges did a version of one of our all-time-favorite Merritt tunes, No One Will Ever Love You. We hope this leads to a MagFields revival. Robin's version is as spare as the original: a lullabye for grownups, and maybe the single best song about love song. Yes, even better than that one.
DOWNLOAD: Robin Pecknold/White Antelope, The Book of Love (Magnetic Fields cover) [mp3]
BONUS!: This was recorded a couple years ago, but since Brand New just played here yesterday, maybe someone will want it . . .
DOWNLOAD: Brand New, Oh Comely (Neutral Milk Hotel cover) [mp3]
